JD.com Partners with WWF to
Make Consumption More Sustainable

JD.com Partners with WWF to
Make Consumption More Sustainable

E-commerce giant JD.com is working with the World Wildlife Fund and Tencent Foundation to participate in Earth Hour with the expansion of its ongoing efforts to reduce consumption-related waste and to make e-commerce more environmentally sustainable.

JD.com, which is China’s largest retailer, launched the fourth round of its clothing recycling program this week, which has collected roughly 1 million items of clothing since it started in 2016. The company collects used clothing from customers using its in-house logistics network, and partners with organizations to either redistribute the clothing for reuse in impoverished areas of China or to recycle the fabric. In the newest drive, some clothing collections will also be donated to charity organizations to be sold.

The company is also working with 83 suppliers, including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, PepsiCo and Haier, to develop more environmentally friendly products by using more recycled materials and reducing use of plastics. And JD is working with WWF to educate Chinese consumers on the rigorous certification process of the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council, for eco-friendly fishing practices and sustainable seafood. JD also has worked with 21 merchants to donate money directly when customers purchase orders on our platform beginning later this month.

“Earth Hour isn’t just about turning off the lights for 60 minutes,” said Libo Ma, head of CSR department at JD.com, who is also general secretary of the company’s charity affiliate, JD Foundation. “It’s a reminder for us as both businesses and as individual consumers to always be aware of our impact on this planet. It’s a moment to look at what more we could and should be doing.”

The expanded programs come as JD, the only e-commerce company in the world to operate a nationwide, in-house logistics network, is in the midst of converting its delivery fleet to electric vehicles. JD is currently converting its fleet of 2,000 delivery vehicles to electric vehicles in China, and is working with partners to convert hundreds of thousands of others in the next three years, which would save several million tons in emissions per year.

The company is also researching biodegradable packaging, and is constantly looking for other ways to reduce e-commerce waste. Two years, ago, JD switched to thinner strips of tape, saving over 100 million meters of tape so far.

“The e-commerce revolution is changing people’s lives for the better,” Ma said. “But it is also an opportunity to change the culture of consumption.”

Earlier this year, JD released its Trends in Green Consumption Development report. Based on insights from JD’s hundreds of millions of customers, the report reveals increasing consumer demand for green products. JD has actively been introducing more green products on its platform to meet consumers’ broad range of demands and preferences. Last year, the total volume of green products available on JD increased by more than half (54.5%). The total volume of green purchases made on JD increased by 71%, contributing to 15.1% of total sales on the platform during the same period. Find the full report here.